


Detroit: Become Human (............Yeah... I know..........)

by Ren_06



Series: Detroit [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Already Have About Five-Thousand Chapters Written, Definitely NOT All About That Markus/ North Bullshit, Enjoy!, GettingToKnowEachother-Ish, I'm Actually Proud About This One, I'm Tired And Just Want To Get It Published, M/M, Markus Isn't Going To Be A Dick About Only Noticing North (Kinda) For Long, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-08-24 09:18:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16637159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren_06/pseuds/Ren_06
Summary: Simon is just about to lose faith in his being able to lead Jericho like a real leader when a stranger arrives. Somewhat mysterious, Simon takes a liking to this stranger who could potentially be the new leader Jericho. This stranger goes by Markus.(I'll make it nicer later)





	1. Jericho

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second published fan fiction. I DO NOT plan on giving up on this one. Markus and Simon have become my life, the very reason I am exposing myself to the very few people who will read this... And the remainder of my future. I think I plan on... uploading (?) chapters at least once a week. Maybe on Thursdays. But if I find that its too long then I may end up doing it maybe on Tuesday and Thursday... Anyway, thank you SO SO much for making it this far! I hope that I didn't disappoint and that you continue to read my soul!

 

_Simon Nov. 6, 2038_

_What are we going to do? We don’t have enough biocomponents, half of our people are injured, and I’m what? Sitting with my head in my hands wondering what went wrong. Jericho is my responsibility, they put their faith in me… and I’ve already failed them…_

 

I rub my face and open my eyes, though they may as well be closed given how dark it is in here. _We can’t even afford to have light in here we are so vulnerable._ I shake my head and my eyes adjust again to the darkness. What have I done? This was supposed to be a sanctuary for people like us. Ever since it began it’s all been going downhill. I mean, of course we’ve grown a bit in numbers but not enough of us are strong enough to actually  
protect everyone else… not even me. And it doesn’t help that our location isn’t very secure… I mean it’s basically labyrinth and it’s a pain to get to where we are now without knowing where you’re going but any human could figure it out eventually. It’s not very safe either, with broken or cracked pillars, trashed corridors and unstable platforms. The unsafe dump that it is, it is still more of a home for most of us than with our former masters.

 

I look with sad eyes at our members. Almost every one of us damaged in some way… many dying. This just makes me wonder again what came over me when I told them that I could lead them. I’m doing such a terrible job… Regardless, there is no time for me to be wallowing in my own self pity. I need to at least start acting like a better leader.

 

I look for Josh to notify him of my leaving and find him sitting next to an empty fire pit. He sits with his arms over his knees and his eyes closed… a somewhat worried expression on his face. I wonder if he’s thinking the same things I am.

 

“Hey.” I tap on his shoulder. He looks up without saying anything. “I’m thinking about going out to look for biocomponents. I know there’s a warehouse nearby…”

 

He furrows his brow. “You know that’s not a good idea, Simon.”

 

“That’s why I’m telling you. I’m just going to find out how tight their security is… we may make an excursion in the future so best to be ready.”

 

“Simon, no. It’s too risky. It’s too reckless, what has come over you?”

 

I sigh, “We’re dying… I’m supposed to be their leader and I’m just letting them die while I mope about. I feel it’s time I do something.”

 

He looks at me in disbelief. “You’re better than the life we had before... You’re a great leader, Simon. You’re doing all that you can. You care about our well being. That’s more than we could ever ask for. I do agree that we need to get biocomponents and fast. But this is not the right approach. We'll figure something out in time.”

 

I nod, “You’re right. I’m just anxious. We’ve been sitting around for so long letting our people die, Josh. We’ve been cowering in fear. Fear of the humans for rA9’s sake! How have we let them get so much power over us. The point of escaping is to be free.”

 

For a moment he doesn’t say anything. “We are free.” He looks at the ground. His LED flashing yellow.

 

I make my way back towards the other side of the room. Not really going anywhere just trying to get some air in this dungeon of a place.

 

**Bang Bang**

 

“Hide!” I yell as loud as I can as soon as I hear the door being opened. I stand behind a pillar ready to take down whoever might have found us. Josh sprints across the room and crouches behind a crate nearby and North hops off of another and gets low to the ground. We hear loud footsteps walking along the grate above us and see the light of a flashlight. The panels rattle and sway violently as the person above breaks into a run. The light flickers off and I hear a loud cracking noise and then the sound of a body hitting the ground. I cautiously come out from behind the pillar and approach the figure. They grab their flashlight and struggle to stand up. They mustn't I notice that people begin to come out of hiding and gather around the stranger. He spins around taking in the environment around him and the beam of his light lands on me. The first thing I noticed about him was his lack of an LED.

 

I flash him a slight smile as to not appear threatening. “Welcome to Jericho.”

 

He studies us with a very perplexed expression. “Who are you?”

 

“Fugitives.” Josh says behind me. “Just like you. My names Josh.”

 

“I’m Simon.”

 

“North.”

 

He looks at the three of us. “This is Jericho?”

 

“It’s a refuge for those who don’t want to be slaves anymore.” Josh explains. The stranger takes a double take at everyone around them as if he didn’t fully realize that we were androids.

 

“And you knew that only an android could follow the trail, didn’t you.”

 

_Yes but it’s completely plausible for a human to stumble upon us… maybe I’m just paranoid._

 

“Only those who are like us can find Jericho.” Josh replies.

 

It’s probably time I start talking. “If you could decipher the signs, it’s because one of us trusted you enough to give you the key.”

 

He ponders a bit. “How many are you?”

 

“There are nineteen of us still in working order. The rest were damaged escaping their masters.” North tells him.

 

“Many tried to reach Jericho… few succeed.” Josh says in a sinister tone. “Humans have very little pity for our kind. I understand how you feel but we have more freedom here than you ever did.”

 

He glances at the ground. “Maybe I was never really free… maybe I was only what my master wanted me to be. And now, I need to decide who I really am.”

 

_I… really like this guy._

 

“You’re lost.” He looks me in the eyes and I realize that they are both different colors. One a pale green swimming with potential and creativity, the other an electric blue, vibrant and daring. “Just like the rest of us. We didn’t ask for this. All we can do know is deal with it.”

 

I break eye contact and walk away. I make my way towards the darkest spot I can find, as far away from him and anybody else as I can get, and lean against the wall. For some reason my heart rate has increased and it makes me feel uncomfortable. I clutch at the pump and stare up at the ceiling. I close my eyes and a picture of his face is what I find painted on my eyelids… my face gets hot and I cover my eyes with my hand. What am I thinking?

 

When I open my eyes I see him wandering around, inquiring with others. He lights fires and people gather around like moths… maybe I should let some light in here for a change. He talks to one of the androids who’s on the verge of death. I never got her name. She just showed up one day like the rest of us, though I was one of the first of course. When I first met her I didn't want to drain her energy so I just did the best that I could to repair the parts of her that I could repair. She usually keeps to herself so maybe the stranger intrigued her enough to motivate her to speak. I hear her ask his name and about the afterlife. He says that he doesn’t know… and that his name is Markus. I watch him out of the corner of my eye and feel my face grow hotter. He hold out his hand and she transfers something to him… then grows still. He slowly pulls his hand back, horrified. I look away… I could have prevented that. All she needed was a few biocomponents, maybe therium. She could’ve survived… she would never have to wonder about the afterlife if only I’d been a better leader.

 

He makes his way towards Josh and they engage in a very brief conversation. I can only imagine that it is about the boy we found… and how we are all dying. He continues wandering around the room, lighting fire pits, then he come up on the pit near me. He lights it and it gradually illuminates the area around me. My heartbeat quickens as he approaches me. He seems to want to talk but, like a coward, I’m sure I’d make a fool of myself now so I make myself as abrasive as possible. I can feel his eyes on me. I clench my teeth and stare straight ahead, pretending not to notice him. I think I may have overdone it though because he gives off a disappointed vibe as he passes me. After he’s far enough away I let out a breath I’ve been holding and almost slap myself. What the hell am I doing! I’m the leader of Jericho and I’m too cowardly to talk to the complete stranger who just arrived because of what? His eyes? His somewhat innocent yet strong, cautious demeanor? His lips…

 

I dig my nails into my palm and close my eyes. RA9 help me. I hear Markus speaking to Lucy. I can only make out a few things from this distance but I can piece it together well enough. Markus will likely be our next leader… I don’t know how to feel about that.

 

He finishes up his conversation then makes a beeline for me. I look down.

 

“Simon.” He never gives me a break does he? “I know where we can find spare parts. The CyberLife warehouses in Detroit Harbor, they have everything we need.”

 

I find it odd that he’s thinking the same thing I was not two hours ago… maybe it’s a sign. But I still have to agree with Josh on this one. “The docks are guarded. We can’t just walk in there and take what we want. Humans will never let us.”

 

“Which is why we won’t ask permission.”

 

… I can’t argue with that.

 

“None of us have any weapons.” Josh chimes in. “And even if we did, none of us know how to fight.”

 

“We can steal what we need without fighting.” Oh he’s on a roll.

 

Josh looks at him like he’s crazy. Maybe he is. “We’ll just get ourselves killed.”

 

“Maybe.” Markus says, “but it’s better than waiting here to be shut down.”

 

“I’m with you.” North walks up. _Not again…_

 

“Maybe it’s worth a try.” I nod my head. Maybe with him here we’ll have a greater chance of success.

 

Markus looks at Josh for his approval, he reluctantly agrees.

 

Markus nods his head as if he didn’t believe that we’d go along with it so soon. He stops for a moment. “ Do you happen to have any… bags of some sort? To gather supplies?”

 

“Of course. We have backpacks in one of the crates around here.” I do a slow 360 turn and locate the crates. Markus follows closely behind me and we go through the crates.

 

“I take it your their leader?” He asks.

 

I sigh. “Am I visibly a terrible leader?” I don’t look up.

 

“No, no. I can tell you care about them. You’re worried about their well being… I can see the weight of their fate resting on your shoulders, I’m surprised you’re still standing.” I try to laugh but it comes out strained. “No one could take your place, Simon.” I feel his eyes on me. He just arrived… he couldn’t know.

 

“Here they are!” I pull the padding out of the crate and lay the bags out in neat piles. Markus looks like he wants to say something more but he lets it go and helps me take out the back packs. I give one to Josh and another to Markus. North insists that if she doesn’t get to go she will leave Jericho, which I wouldn’t mind but I’m not trying to start anything with her again, so I give her one and then put one on myself. I explain what we are doing to everyone else and go through the safety precautions that they take should anything happen while we are gone, then we leave.

 


	2. CyberLife Warehouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soon after Markus arrives, he takes action, improving the overall health of the members of Jericho and gaining their trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda got creeped out at the thought that I usually always write in first person and readers could interpret it wrong, thinking that maybe I’m actually kind of talking about myself, though it’s supposed to be from someone else’s perspective. I swear, that is not my intention at all. This is just how I think Simon would think (... maybe) based on the brief period of time he had to develop as a character throughout the game. (Not sure that made sense. I’m don’t now. I’ll fix anything later if I find that I douched.) Enjoy.

_8:01 Nov. 6, 2038_

It is already well past dark by the time we leave so very few humans are out, at least on the path that we took. Markus gave me a knife just in case I need to use it. I hope to rA9 that I don’t.

We follow Markus through the shadows of the somewhat sleeping city.

“This is very… unusual that you, who just arrived from an adventure trying to find us, would so quickly head out on another without taking so much as a breath of air.” I say catching up to him.

He looks at me. “Oh believe me, I’ve taken more than enough breaths.”

“But to put yourself in danger for a bunch of strangers that you just met.”

“I’ve seen enough of them to know that they need my help and I am completely capable of providing it.”

_Wow… who is this guy._

“Thank you.”

He smiles slightly. “Of course.”

I am tempted to ask what brought him to Jericho but I’m not sure he’d appreciate it. Not now anyway. I know I wouldn’t. So we continue in relative silence. The nearer we come to the warehouse the more worried I become. I try not to show it but the weight of the possibility of losing one of our people dawns on me. Not only the ones who are out, but everyone who’s still back at Jericho, vulnerable without anyone, really, who’s equipped to save them. I just want for them to be safe and I can’t protect them being so far away.

I must’ve had a worried expression on because Markus grabs my shoulder. “Hey. They’ll be fine. We won’t be out for too long, I promise.”

I nod my head silently and continue walking.

Finally, the warehouse comes into sight. I break into a run and motion for the others to follow.

I begin to scale the side of the wall and we climb our way to the top of the platform.

“This is crazy. If they catch us, we’re dead.” Josh says once we’re all on top.

 

“What do we do know?” I ask Markus.

“We need to find the CyberLife warehouse. That’s where they keep the spare parts and the blue blood.”

North makes a break for the next form of cover. “Follow me.”

We sprint and take cover wherever we can. Josh follows close behind me and Markus even further back. I keep a close watch on the three of them to make sure that none of us get separated. We stop and hide behind a few of the larger shipping crates as our path is cut off by workers and drones. So we take the rather vertical path. We follow North up the crates and the warehouse becomes more visible. We jump over the gaps and climb as fast as we can. North grabs onto one of the crates being moved by a large machine. Josh and I grab on as well and, with very little time to spare, Markus joins us. As soon at the crate is above a solid platform, I push off and continue, now in the lead. I sprint ahead and scope out the area in front of us. I wait a bit for the rest to catch up then slide down the side of the crates. We move in darkness so not to be spotted. We slide down another couple of crates then find our path compromised by a drone. The warehouse only feet away. Markus kneels next to me.

“CyberLife warehouses… they have everything that we’re looking for.”

“First we have to get rid of that drone.” Says North. She watches it, her eyes slitted.

What could we do to get rid of it. Maybe I could create a distraction and lure it away… but now that I think about it thoroughly it’s sounds like a pretty stupid plan. We could damage it in some way, but how would we do so without getting caught?—

“Leave it to me.” Markus says, without hesitation.

He jumps up into one of the crates and times it perfectly so that a crate being lifted blocks him from the sight of the drone. He grabs onto the crate being lifted and then moves to the other side. Immediately, he swings off of the crate and onto the drone. I see him tear it apart as it slowly drifts towards the ground. He jumps of with a smooth landing as the rest of us make our way down the remainder of the crates. We meet him at the bottom.

_Simply amazing..._

“You okay?” I ask him as I pass by.

His gaze tears from the now destroyed drone. “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good job, Markus.” I hear North praise him behind me. Of course.

“Quick, open the crates and fill your bags. Take as much as you can.”

North opens a crate and hands packages of therium to me and I load them up into Josh’s backpack. Markus begins on another crate and starts off by filling his pockets. I turn my attention back to Josh’s bag and that's when I see an android approaching us. Model GJ500. I stop taking therium from North, she soon catches on and follows my gaze. He walks toward us cautiously and I clench my teeth. I anxiousky search for potential escape routes that we could take should anything go wrong.

He looks at all of us. “You are trespassing on private property.” He says in a serious tone. He walks toward Markus. “Your presence constitutes a Level 2 infraction. I will notify security.” He says, turning back to look at us.

“John!” I hear a man yell close by. “Goddamn machine...” He mutters under his breath. The beam of a flashlight comes into view across the way. “Where is it this time?” He finally comes into view right around the corner.  If he looks this way we are dead. Markus goes for the GJ400 and we all duck for cover. The human security guard wanders past our very exposed hiding places behind revealing crates. I hold my breath and will him not to find us in the darkness. We all remain as still as possible. The guard passes me without reaction but goes for Markus’s spot. I begin to panic, anticipating the potential negative outcomes. The android could escape Markus’s hold and report us. We’d all be shot on site. The rest of us would definitely have a better chance of escaping than Markus, and it could give us enough time to get out but would be heartless to leave him. I pull my knife out of my pocket and get in a ready position. I’ll only attack if absolutely necessary. He’s definitely not taking Markus’s life. My body tenses as his flashlight passes the space directly above Markus. “First the drone now this.” The security guard mumbles, annoyed. He turns around and leaves our area and I almost collapse in relief. Markus lets go of the GJ500 and we all come out of hiding.

“Let’s hurry up and get out of here. Try to find some blue blood, we still don't have enough.” I say and get back to cracking open crates. I fill my bag with as many therium bags that I find. Markus wanders off and I watch him as he pries open a larger crate. He opens the door and looks at the androids on the inside. AP700 the doors displays. I get closer to see what he's trying to do.

“Why aren’t you like us?” he mutters. “Don’t you want to be free?” He ponders a moment. “You could join us.” What sounds like… realization in his voice. He takes one of the androids hands into his own and… seems to have… “woken” him up. Markus’s skin fades away and shows the porcelain white underneath. The android takes in his surroundings as though he’s never seen the outside world… Which I suppose he hasn’t. Markus wakes the other two and they have similar reactions. It’s... kind of... beautiful. Markus turns around and looks at North who I just noticed was standing there as well. They make eye contact and have some sort of connection. I avert my eyes and try to focus of the task at hand… though I can’t help but notice the sting. The androids hop out of the crate.

Once my bag is full, I will myself to turn back towards them. “That’s all we can carry. Lets go.” The two jump down from the platform and join me and Josh but the GJ500 stops us.

 

“Take me with you.” He insists.

 

North steps up to Markus. “He’s on their side. We can’t trust him.”

“He took a risk for us. We can't just leave him here.” Josh turns to North.

As much as I appreciate what he did for us, I’m still having a hard time trusting him. “We can’t bring him back with us. It's too dangerous.”

Markus gives me an apologetic look. “They come with us.” He declares. The android smiles and North turns away from Markus, disappointed. I just hope that this was the right decision.

“I know where you can find more spare parts.” He says to Markus.

I whip around. “What do you mean?” As I step towards him.

“The trucks.” The android turns his attention to me. “They’re full of biocomponents. They run on autopilot, but they can be driven manually with a key.”

Markus steps up beside me. “Where is this key?”

He walks past us and points at a building nearby. “Down there, in the control station. There are two human guards. You’ll have to get the key without being noticed.”

Definitely not. “This is suicide, Markus. Our bags are full.  We got what we came for, lets go before they catch us.” I try to convince him otherwise but… I know he won't want to pass up this chance. I mean, if he succeeds then that will be great, but its not worth the risk of one of our lives. Of his life.

“This is a truck full of spare parts. There’d be enough for all of us. We can’t pass this up.” Of course, North would send him off to his potential death. That may have been just the thing to encourage him to go through with it. He’s  already more comfortable with her than he is with me... so it’s inevitable. I sigh.

“And if we get our people killed, our people will have nothing. We can’t take that chance. It’s to risky.” I just want Markus to be safe but… he can decide for himself.

“Wait here.” He orders, “If i'm not back in ten minutes, go without me.”

“Markus.” Josh says, annoyed.

Well… if he goes he might need back up or a guard or something! I step forward. “I--” North cuts me off.

“I’m coming with you.”

_….For rA9’s sake!_

“No, I’m going alone.” He turns to her. “It's not worth it for both of us to risk losing our lives.” He swivels on his heel and runs toward the control station and North watches him longingly, mesmerised.

_I wouldn’t stand a chance anyway…._

I collapse against a crate and watch Markus climb into the station through a window. My heart beats fast and my whole body is tense. I try to close my eyes and control my breathing but it's no use. An eternity goes by. The power in the station suddenly shuts down. The security guards soon move to check the cause of the black out. I see their flashlight beams pass over the window and they talk about something that my ears can’t pick up. Once they’ve found the source they begin to wave their flashlights around somewhat frantically. They know someone is inside. I don’t blink until I see Markus’s silhouette making its way back towards us. I don’t realise that I am holding my breath until I let it out.

North approaches him. “Did you get it?” He holds up the electronic key and I can’t help but smile, despite my pounding heart. “Nice.” North exhales.

We quickly load our things onto the truck and I retrieve the AP700’s. Markus climbs into the drivers side and, of course, North into the passengers.

“Hurry, get in.”

Markus starts the truck and drives out of the docks, right past the control center, and they notice nothing. They continue to walk around the center, still looking for the trespasser. We leave without any difficulty.

North and Markus look at each other as though they could not believe what they just did… Oh what I’d give to be in her place. She doesn’t fully grasp her fortune, being able to be in the position she’s in. She doesn’t seem to want to preserve her reputation either… The remainder of the drive back to Jericho, we drive in silence. Every one of us stunned by our success. By Markus’s success. We could use a leader like him. We could use him as our leader. And I am definitely willing to follow. The closer we come to Jericho the more excited I get. I imagine how they will react when we present to them four new and fully functional androids and not to mention the truckload if biocomponents, and then some.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m late. I am so sorry to those beautiful people who are still reading this... My lame excuse: had to clean up after Thanksgiving dinner alone. But I’m done and here you are! I really really hope that you enjoyed this one and please don’t stop now! Thank you so much... I promise you, won’t just use the game interactions and such as my building blocks. I’ll do more stuff completely out of my own brain. I am currently working on Simons backstory. Probably gonna suck but we’ll see where it goes.


	3. Acceptance

We all hurry out of the truck and Markus navigates it onto the ship as quickly as he can manage. We take our backpacks and nearly sprint back to where we are stationed. “A truckload!” I exclaim as we march through the door. A smile finding its way back to my face. “We stole a whole truckload.” I turn to see the faces of our people as they take in this information.

 

“We got biocomponents for everybody!” Josh adds.

 

“We couldn’t have done it without Markus.” North’s right.

 

Markus gives me a look like he has something to say.

 

“I came to Jericho because… here androids are free. Free to live in the dark, hoping that no one finds us. Free to die in silence waiting for a change that’s never gonna come. But I don’t want that freedom.” He looks at us. “And I’m not going to beg for the right to smile, or love, or stand tall.” He begins pacing. “I don't know about you, but there is something inside me that knows that I am more than what they say. I am alive, and they’re not gonna take that from me anymore. Our days of slavery are over. What humans don’t want to hear, we will tell them. What they don’t want to give, we take. We are people, we are alive, we are free!” This is what gets the crowd going. The members of Jericho cheer in agreement. We’re done hiding.

 

The expression and passion on Markus’s face causes my own to flush.

 

_I want him._

 

Markus looks at me. I’m completely willing to let him lead us. He is the one we’ve been looking for.

 

I smile. “They love you.”

 

I  _love you_

 

He flashes a charming smile in response. My heart flutters.

 

“So… how did you end up becoming their leader?” He asks

 

I look up, reminiscent of when I first found Jericho. “At the time... there were only a few of us here. Most of them terribly damaged. I was the first that was fully functional and in almost perfect condition. And, I suppose, they saw a leader in me. It must’ve been a mistake. I mean look what I’ve brought them to! When you arrived you changed everything. You helped us to stop cowering... You helped me to stop cowering in fear. And now... we may actually have a chance at true freedom.”

 

He tilts his head to the side and gives me a look. “I don’t know why you’re so convinced that you are a bad leader, you are not. You’re just very cautious and it’s not a bad thing.” He nudges my face to look him in the eyes. His touch causes my heart to beat out of my chest. I look into his eyes and will them to stay, but I can’t help but feel my face flush as he searches mine.

 

_What are you looking for?_

 

I avert my eyes. RA9, what's my problem? I’ve never been this embarrassed in my entire life. This is becoming ridiculous.

 

“Why do you do that?” I find the courage to look back at him and see his brow furrowed.

 

“I… actually was just asking myself that… How do you always know what I’m thinking?”

 

“Are you kidding! I never actually know what your thinking. Half the time I’m 99% sure that I’m entirely wrong.” He almost laughs. “What do you mean ‘always’?”

 

“Ten minutes before you arrived I just proposed my idea to check out the security at the warehouse to Josh.”

 

He gets up and paces around me. “Maybe we have a special connection!” He jokes. I smile at his lightheartedness.

 

_But… What if we do?_

 

“That is actually a little strange, but it could mean something.” He says.

 

“Anything is possible, I suppose.” I reply. Maybe Markus was always supposed to be our leader. He could’ve been… destined to find us all along. And if that’s the case then I’m almost 100% positive that he actually will succeed in leading us to victory, to freedom. If that’s the case then I am absolutely willing to follow him wherever he decides to take us. Especially if it is for the greater good of our people...

 

I finally realize that he had already stopped talking. I look at him and find him watching me. He, now sitting cross legged, is leaning forward, lips slightly parted, eyes searching my face. Finally, his eyes meet mine and I swallow. We remain still in that way for rA9 knows how long. We don’t move, we don’t speak.

 

_I want to touch him._

 

He’s definitely close enough. I muster up the courage to move my arm and I slowly reach it towards his face. He doesn’t resist… surprisingly, he complies. He reaches his own hand out as though to guide mine. He lets out a shaky breath and my heart melts. Does he feel as nervous as I look? Before I fully realize it, our faces are mere inches apart. Our gaze locked, our skin touching, it almost makes me want to cry—

 

“Markus.” North steps up to us. I jump and turn my face, not wanting to make eye contact with either of them. “Am I… interrupting something?” She asks, stupidly. Markus exhales, frustrated. “I can go…” her voice trailing off.

 

“No.” Markus sighs. “No. Did something happen?”

 

She clears her throat. If I could see her face I bet she, of all people, would look the most annoyed, knowing her. “Josh and I were discussing our next move and we were wondering what you thought about it.”

 

I stand up and begin to walk away from them. This really isn’t my conversation right know and I’m sure North didn’t just come here to discuss our “next move” with Markus.

 

Markus lunges at me from the ground and grabs at my hand.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

I avoid eye contact. “I’m just going to go get some air.” I attempt a nonchalant smile. “Im feeling a little… confined, aren’t you?” But I know he isn’t falling for it. After a moment, he recomposes himself and turns his attention back to North.

 

I walk as normally as I can manage until I am positive that I am out of sight. Then, nearly run the remainder of the way. Once I’m out, I lean against the railing overlooking the ocean. I pull myself up and swing my legs over the edge, take a deep breath and close my eyes.

I shouldn’t get so angry with North. She’s been here for so long and she helped us get through many tribulations. I am the jerk in this situation. She deserves to be happy. I close my eyes, kick off of the railing and crash into the ocean below, letting my body sink. I float down towards the bottom, which is not very far I might add. I open my eyes and take in the scene around me. It is all so quiet down here, so peaceful. The opposite of the oh so chaotic world above…

 

Once I finally begin to calm down I hear a distorted noise coming from the direction of the bow of the ship above. I swim to the surface and find Markus calling my name.

 

“Markus.” I get his attention. He looks over the side of the ship and sees me.

 

“Oh my God.” I hear him mumble. He goes out of sight for a few seconds and before I realize what he’s doing, it’s already too late. He vaults himself over the rail and plunges into the water before me. He goes under and after a second or two his head pops back up and he swims towards me. “Are you okay?” I give s slight nod.

 

We swim to the dock. I reach the top first and help Markus up.

 

“Did you say ‘oh my God’?”

 

He laughs but doesn’t delve any deeper into the topic. We sit next to each other with our legs dangling off the edge of the dock. Markus stares off into space. He looks like he is in a completely different universe.

 

A cool breeze brushes past us at a steady pace and I can sense a dramatic change in body temperature. I try to ignore it and focus on what we’re planning on doing next but it gradually becomes a nuisance, causing my joints to stiffen. I get up and stand on the other side of the dock, quietly, so not to disturb Markus. He appears so focused that he probably didn’t realize that I left. I kneel over the edge of the dock and take off my still dripping shirt. I twist it as tight as I can and try to get as much water out of it as possible with stiff fingers. After I’m sure I won’t be able to squeeze much more out of it, I shake it in an attempt to air dry it. I stand up and glance back to see what Markus is doing and find him already turned in my direction, rising to a standing position. I jump back a little in surprise and my foot slips off of the edge. Markus is close enough for me to grab him but I’d rather not risk pulling him in with me so instead I reach for the weak, wooden rods everyone calls a “fence”. My fingers merely graze the wood and I continue to tip backwards… at least my shirt is still on the dock. Already anticipating the impact of the water and possible debris underway, I am a little thrown off when I find that I still haven’t hit the water. I open my eyes, which I didn’t realize that I had closed, and find Markus’s hand wrapped around mine. His hand is surprisingly very warm. He pulls me up into his arms which he then proceeds to wrap around me.

 

“Why are you so cold?” He says into my shoulder. “I can feel it through my clothes.”

 

I don’t respond. My heart beats so fast I can hear it. I can feel heat rising to my face and I hope to rA9 Markus won’t see me. He hugs me tighter and only then do I realize how useless my arms are, hanging awkwardly to the side. Slowly, still in some state of shock, I raise my arms and wrap them around Markus. The combination of my heart rate and the lump in my throat make it difficult to breathe. After a moment, Markus pulls away. He looks me up and down and I finally realize that I still don’t have a shirt on. I quickly cross my arms to cover what I can and clench my teeth. Too embarrassed to move or keep eye contact, I turn my head to the side. I hear the sound of shuffling and shortly after feel something warm covering my body. I look down and find Markus’s jacket draped over my shoulders. My head snaps up and he has his own tilted to the side.

 

“Actually, I think it looks better on you than it does on me.” He smiles. “How long were you in the water for?” He asks as he reaches down to pick up my shirt. “Your skin was ice, we could’ve gone back in had you said something.”

 

“I didn't want to disturb your thought process. You seemed busy.”

 

He looks at me, with a serious expression **.** “You could never bother me… you should go back inside.”

 

“Are you not coming?”

 

“I will... I just have to do something.”

 

_...Ok_

 

He hands me my shirt and begins to walk in the opposite direction of the ship. I quickly slip the shirt on and run to catch up with him. I hand him his jacket. “It’s getting cold.” He gently takes it from me and puts it back on. “Be careful.” I tell him. He nods and continues walking. I watch him for a few moments and then make my own way back towards Jericho.

 

I find North and Josh looking through the backpacks and crates that we took. “What do we have?”

 

“We have a ton of therium and at least a couple of crates full of crucial biocomponents that I’ve seen so far.”

 

“Okay then, I say it’s about time we put them to good use, don’t you agree?”

 

I do a quick look through the crates and begins with the ones closest to death. For the first one, I replace the necessities like the pump regulator and diagnostic system. He does a quick scan on himself and tells me that he is just low on therium and needs his audio processor replaced. We continue replacing the bare necessities for those us of on the brink of death and then move into those whose injuries are less severe. After a couple of hours go by, Markus returns. Yet again, inspired to improve.

 

“We can’t stay silent anymore.” He walks up to me. “It’s time humans heard what we have to say.” Addressing everyone.

 

As much as I want this to be an option, I just can’t see the humans compromising. “You know they’ll never listen to us.”

 

“And revealing ourselves will only put us in danger.” Josh adds.

 

“If we want freedom, we need to have the courage to ask for it.” Markus says, firmly. “That’s the only way.”

 

We’re silent for a moment.

 

North stands up. “What do you wanna do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s so shitty


	4. The Stratford Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon, Markus, Josh and North plan on exposing the existence of deviant androids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is a little on the short side but... I think that’s just how it’s going to be. I couldn’t decide where to cut it off and that part just seemed... okay.

_Nov. 8, 2038                                                12:00_

 

He looks at her. “Channel 16 broadcasts from the Stratford Tower. The control room is on the top floor. That’s where we need to go.” Clearly he used his time efficiently. I can see where he’s going and I have to admit, he definitely had some time to think this through and I am confident that it’s very well thought out but the chances of success aren’t necessarily what I’d call good if we were to actually attempt at pulling this off.

 

“What’s the plan?” I ask him.

 

He quickly goes over what he plans on doing and how he wants to follow through with it aloud. Once he’s finished explaining, he looks at us for approval. North agrees almost immediately and Josh and I somewhat reluctantly follow suit.

 

“Good.” He exhales.

 

Josh nods. “It is but we’re going to need supplies for this… like tools and weapons. How do you suppose we acquire all of this.” It’s a very reasonable question.

 

“Just leave it to me. Finish up what you’re   doing here and meet me at the base of the Stratford Tower. Dress appropriately.” Markus takes my hand and transfers to me the exact location of where he wants us to meet. “I’ll see you there in two hours.” He nods to himself, seemingly satisfied, and walks back out the door. I pass on the location to the other two, in case of emergency, and hurry to mend the other broken androids while Josh and North get ready. After another ten minutes go by I hand off the job to a couple of other members and, once again, quickly go over the safety precautions. I slip on a jacket and Josh hands me a backpack containing a couple of bags of therium. I strap the knife that Markus gave me to my leg and we head off.

 

We catch a subway and get off the nearest we can manage to the tower. We consider taking a transit but ultimately decide against it. The closer we come to the tower, the more people are out. We avoid the larger crowds and turn to hide our LED’s but they probably wouldn’t notice anyway. The closer we come to the tower, the more nervous I get. I go over all of the ways we could fail this mission. All of the ways we could die. I try to convince myself that if I calm down and do it right we will all be fine. I’m still left a little uneasy but it’ll have to do for now.

 

Finally, we reach the base of the tower. We find out way to the “back” and enter an alleyway. Hidden behind a coupe of crates is a duffel bag, just like Markus said there’d be. I unzip the bag and pull out what appears to be uniforms, three of them, and a few other strange tools. I pocket a circular disk and North takes the guns. I hand both North and Josh a uniform and slip one on myself. I unlock the fire exit door and we all begin our climb up. Josh and I get out on the first floor and North continues to sprint up the stairwell.

 

“See you up there.” I call to North. “Now we need to find and jack this service elevator.” I tell Josh.

 

The floor that we got off on is dark and probably only used by the android workers. It appears to be used primarily for storage. We climb over the piles of junk that accumulated over the years and eventually find the elevator in the back corner of the room.

 

We open the doors to the elevator and step in. I lunch in the Hutton’s to take us to the highest floor it will allow without a key. Though it still takes us some time to reach the top, given that the Stratford Tower happens to be one of the tallest towers in Detroit, and that this is a service elevator meant for heavy loads.

 

Josh and I stand in relative silence. I can feel that he is buzzing with electricity but I can’t tell whether it’s because he is nervous or excited… though I suppose that it could be both. He always has an opinion but is a little too good at hiding his emotions. Josh has been with Jericho for quite a long time. Both he and North joined maybe a couple of years after myself. Josh came at least a week before North. Of course, since they were pretty much as capable as I am, they became leaders as well. I like to think of the three of us as a sort of democratic government, though I still think that they respected my title as the leader and never really fought against it.

 

For a long time I kicked myself around trying to decide whether or not I should take Josh or North’s side. They always opposed each other. Josh, always wanting to take a peaceful route, and North, of course, favoring the rather “violent” route. Josh was always the positive charge, North always the negative and I was usually the neutral. I was the balance. I always thought that whatever choice I made was purely for the benefit of our people. Most of the time I went with Josh. His solutions were always less risk taking than North’s. I was never really against her, I was usually just trying to think about the lives of our people and going with Josh on everything had a much lesser chance of losing lives. Though I don’t suppose it did much to benefit us in the end. North no longer likes me and we haven’t gotten anywhere… I’m glad Markus found us. He’s a miracle. He knows what is good for Jericho and he knows how to get what he wants without killing. He knows what’s best for us. He knows how to save us.

 

The elevator finally stops and the door opens to a dark room. I close the doors and we wait for Markus to call us up the remainder of the way. Josh and I both look at each other, tense,not sure of what is going to come next but preparing for the worst.few moments pass and the elevator begins to move up again, this trip much shorter. The doors open for the second time and we are greeted by Markus and North, both unharmed and with serious expressions. I relax a little bit.

 

We step out of the elevator and Markus looks at me, expecting. I pull the disk out of my pocket and hand it to him. He then proceeds to place it on the lock of the door and activates it. It flares out and appears to melt the lock.

 

The door swings opens door we walk into a small room like hallway. I push the door closed behind us and follow Josh. Markus wraps his hand around the knob of the door and looks back at us for confirmation. This is where things get messy. He opens the door and we brace ourselves. Markus stands with his back to the wall and peaks around the corner. I close the door and step up next to him.

 

“No killing.” Josh looks at us. “We can’t take any human lives.”

 

North rolls her eyes. “Our cause is more important than the lives of two guards.”

 

I trust Markus to decide without my influence. “What do you wanna do, Markus?”

 

Markus takes a moment to decide. “Wait here.” He says, finally. He steps out into the hallway and I peak around the corner.

 

“What’s that doing here?” I hear a man say.”

 

“No idea...” Replies another.

 

“Hey, buddy! You must be lost.”

 

Markus takes out his gun. Markus will do the right thing but it still won’t sit very well with me if he ends up taking a life… but as long and he saves our people.

 

“What are you doin’?” A man exclaims.

 

Markus says nothing and motions for both of them to stand directly in front of him. They put their hands up and turn around and the command of his gun. Markus knocks the two guards out and their bodies collapse to the floor. I emerge from our spot and grab one guard under the armpits and drag him behind the desk. North does the same with the other.

 

We approach the door to the broadcasting station and stand on either side. North hands Josh a gun and Markus presses the button to request entry. After a few seconds the door opens and a man stands before us, slightly perplexed.

 

“Keep your hands where I can see them!” North exclaims. The two rush in and gather the employees into a group. “Get up! Move!” Markus and I follow them in shortly after and get to business.

 

I head straight for the control station and Markus gets rid of the working androids.

 

A man breaks free and sprints for the door. He slips and falls just as he goes through the doorway and turns to us with a horrified expression on his face. I feel a little bad for him. Quickly he regains his footing and continues to run. Markus raises his gun.

 

“Kill him, Markus!” North snaps.

 

“Don’t kill him!” Josh counters.

 

North’s whips around and turns to Josh. “He’ll hit the alarm! Do it!” She snarled.

 

“No, don’t shoot!” Josh’s voice becomes somewhat desperate.

 

Markus aims his gun but doesn’t fire. “I hope you didn’t just get us all killed.” North, sounding defeated.

 

I look at Markus. “We need to record our message. We haven’t got much time.”

 

Markus positioned himself in front of the camera. I look back at Josh and motion for him to connect to the trickster. Josh begins tapping at the screen and I ready the stream.

 

“Think carefully about what you’re gonna say, Markus.” North stand close to him. “You’re words will shape the future of our people.”

 

For the first time I’ve ever seen, Markus seems nervous. His nervousness is beginning to make me nervous. I can’t see his expression, but his body language suggests it. I wonder if they notice as well—we’re running out of time.

 

“Markus, your face…” He looks back at me, seemingly confused for a second and then finally understands. He raises his eyebrows as if to say that he didn’t think of that. I turn back to the screen and make sure everything is running correctly one last time.

 

“Tell me when your ready.” Josh tells him. I look back and see that Markus’s skin had been removed. The blueish-white showing instead.

 

He takes a moment and gives Josh consent.

 

Josh’s eyes go black and he transmits what he hears and sees to the trickster which I project to every screen out there that there is to broadcast to.

 

Markus begins his speech and I only half listen to it, not wanting to break the connection I have and ruin the reason that we did this. I can hear the words that he is saying and I wish that I could understand them at the moment. I so wish that right now I could be a part of the audience as well. I know that every single word uttered from his mouth is poetry. Every breath he takes is a song. His very existence is a blessing. That fact that he is a part of my life is a miracle and I am so thankful that I am able to be with him here in this moment. Nothing could ever take away the pure ecstasy I feel when I stand next to him. I absolutely love him and I decide that from here on out, I will dedicate my life to him. Whether it be a physical or emotional sacrifice, I will give it all up if it means that he will live on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. I’m not gonna edit it right now so it might be a bit rougher than usual. Thank you for still reading, I am so thankful for your existence and I hope that I won’t be the cause of your ending it. Stay Zexy...

**Author's Note:**

> Im pretty sure I’ve been spelling “thirium” wrong this entire time. I was spelling it “therium” but I guess it’s not correct... but I think that I’ve decided that I want to keep spelling it “therium” mainly because it just looks better to me. I’m so sorry if I just lost the only person who reads this because of my stubborn stupidity...


End file.
